30 



THE ROOT. 



regular arrangement. 



buds, but sometimes. 



Fig. 13. 



Roots are not originally furnished with 

 under peculiar circumstances, produce 

 them. Tlie distance to which the roots of trees extend is 

 sometimes greater than the extent of the branches. 



33. The J^ihrous root (Fig. 13) consists of a col- 

 lection of thread-like parts ; as in many kinds of 

 grasses, and most annual plants. The fibers usu- 

 ally grow directly from the bottom of the stem. 

 Tlie fact that grasses of various kinds will live and 

 flourish in a soil too dry and barren to produce 

 other vegetation is owing to the abundance of the fibers, which 

 absorb all the nourishment that the gromid affords. 



3-1. The SphidU or fusifwm root ; here the fleshy cau- ^'=- ^'*- 

 dex tapers downward, and also near the neck upward, 

 as in the radish (Fig. 14). In the carrot, the root is coni- 

 cal, tapering from the base to the apex. The base of the 

 root is the extremity which is applied to the base of the 

 stem, and the opposite extremity is the apex of the root. 

 The Spindle root is not well provided with the means of 

 imbibing sustenance, on account of a deficiency of radicles. 

 That these are the agents by which the root is nourished, may 

 be proved by immersing a young radish in water until every 

 part is covered except the radicles — the herbage will soon die ; 

 but if the radicles of another radish are immersed in water, 

 the plant will live and look fresh for some time. The Spindle 

 root is often fcn^lced^ as in the mandrake."^ The Premorse root 

 (from premorsus^ bitten) is so called when the Fig. i5. 



caudex appears as if bitten off" (Fig. 15). This 

 is caused by the lower extremity perishing after 

 the first year. (See 31, h.) The violet and 

 cowslip furnish examples. The Scabiosa succisa^ 

 or Devil's bit, received the name on account of 

 a superstitious belief that, as the j^lant was useful for medicine, 

 the devil d^lt of spite to mankind had bitten off' the root. 



35. The Creeping ^ root (Fig. 16), Fig. le. 



instead of forcing its way perpen- 

 dicularly into the earth, extends 

 horizontally, and sends out fibers. 

 The term, creeping root, is some- 

 times improperly applied to the rTiizoma^ or root with a creep- 

 ing stem, which elongates, and produces leaves or branches. 

 In the Iris, it is half buried in the soil ; in some plants, it is 



* Atroj)a mandragora. 

 resembling man. 



The word mandrake is said to be derived from the German Mandrage7i, 



33. Fibrous roots.— 34. Spindle root— Forked spindle root— Premorse root.— 35. Creeping root— Its 

 importance in Holland. 



